December 17, 2009

Today I was sitting in Cafe Beano waiting for Danny to finish putting sugar in his latte, when I looked outside and saw Santa Claus smoking a cigarette and drinking a coffee. He looked a lot like this guy, except less creepy and more wholesome, and no, I didn't let this one hug me.

Anyway, he was standing on the corner wearing a Santa hat and a grungy looking winter jacket with his untucked shirt hanging out. He was facing me, and as I watched, he turned around to face the other direction, just as a little girl and her mom were walking by. As soon as he noticed them, without missing a beat, he covered his face with his jacket, as though he was hiding from her. Although I couldn't hear them, I assume the mom said something like, "Don't look at Santa on his day off," because the little girl pulled her jacket in front of her face too. She peaked back at him a couple more times and the Santa Claus played along until they were out of sight, then tossed his cigarette and walked away.

I am back in Calgary for awhile, and, since this blog is about me in the E.U., I will be taking a break until the new year. Unless I miss you too much or have something irresistible to recount. Merry Christmas, Frohe Weihnachten, etc.

About Me

This [was] the record of my time studying for a year in Graz; enjoying the company of Austrians (one in particular), as well as eating and drinking fine Austrian specialities. This log [did and will continue to] track my movements across the European continent, visiting friends and far off places. Except that now I am without the safety net of a student visa, or student discounts, or a student lifestyle; looking for real work in a place where some things don't translate. It will inevitably end up being a little bit more exciting.